Is anyone else out there as obsessive as me when it comes to finding the perfect WordPress plugin? It's like trying on outfits in the morning… I will install and configure plugin and after plugin trying to find the one that does exactly what I need it to do. And just like my favorite plaid shirt, I will go back to the winning plugin over and over again.
I'm also a little impatient when it comes to ease of use. If it's not readily apparent from the plugin documentation or a quick Google search how to configure the plugin, I'm on to the next. I just don't have time to spend figuring out how to set up a plugin only to find that it's not going to work for me. No point in dragging out that relationship!
One of my most frustrating plugin experiences was setting up WooCommerce for the first time. Talk about learning curve! I spent OVER 40 HOURS configuring products, tax options, shipping options and making it layout correctly on the store page. For 12 products! I think about 5 of those hours were spent thinking, “Screw this – I'm going to find something else!” and then not finding anything I didn't have to pay for first. For the record, I have no problem paying for plugins – but only if I can try before I buy or get my money back if it's not going to work out for me!
Anyway, I like to think I catch on quick but WooCommerce has to be my most humbling WordPress moment. Of course now that I know how to configure WooCommerce it takes me less time, but I'm still not thrilled with it. But do I want to risk putting that kind of time in to learn a different e-commerce plugin? Not really. But because I haven't found the perfect e-commerce/shopping cart plugin, for my next project I'm going to try something different and I'd love your suggestions!
So unless I great some great options to try out from the WordPress community, I'm going to rely on my old standby, Gravity Forms. It's like my favorite pair of jeans, it works in all kinds of situations! It's probably going to be the best option for my organic weed killer website. It's absolutely fantastic for selling things WHEN YOU DON'T NEED A SHOPPING CART. And there are many, many instances of e-commerce without the need for a shopping cart – selling an e-book, event registrations, webinar registrations, membership sites, physical products with minimal options. The possibilities are endless.
So give me your best suggestions for e-commerce plugins in the comments below – I'm open to trying something new! And I'll post what I ultimately ended up using along with an in-depth tutorial because if I'm learning something new I want to pass it on to you!
